


Lemon Boy

by DrChickenSlinger



Category: Naruto
Genre: GaaLee, LeeGaa, M/M, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 22:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18291443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrChickenSlinger/pseuds/DrChickenSlinger
Summary: "Lemon Boy and me started to get along togetherI helped him plant his seeds and we'd mow the lawn in bad weatherIt's actually pretty easy being nice to a bitter boy like himSo I got myself a citrus friend"Inspired by "Lemon Boy" by Cavetown which is one of my favorite songs!  Fifth fic in my song inspired series.





	Lemon Boy

“Hello down there!” Gaara heard someone call, a sudden disruption coming from directly above him. He scowled at the ground, ignoring the intruder. Unfortunately, they were persistent. The tree in front of him trembled slightly as they jumped off a branch, landing gracefully in front of him.

“Gaara-kun! I didn’t know you were in town!” Gaara looked up to see Lee beaming down at him. He pulled off the gardening gloves he wore and let them plop to the rich dirt beneath him. Taking Lee’s entrance as an opportunity for a break, he silently brushed past Lee to sit under the shade of the tree he had made his entrance on. Lee’s smile faltered slightly, but quickly recovered as he sat down next to Gaara.

“What are you doing in Konoha’s orchards?” Lee asked, his bandaged hands tucked underneath his thighs.

“Tsunade and the Suna council thought it best that I begin my treatment in Konoha. Something about hard work and sweat to ‘beat the brattiness out of me.’ Your Hokage’s words,” Gaara said, knees tucked into his chest as he stared straight ahead.

“Oh, treatment? Are you ill?” Lee asked, placing his hand gently onto Gaara’s forehead. He pulled away from the touch causing Lee to withdraw quickly.

“No. It’s therapy. I’m trying to rewire my brain to cope in healthier ways. That way I can correct the wrong I have done and create bonds with others.” Gaara stared over at Lee, his head resting on his arms as he waited for a reaction.

“Oh, that is an excellent idea! From what I heard it sounds like you had it very rough growing up. I am very sorry to hear that. I hope the Konoha air does you some good!” Lee said, his fist extending into a thumbs up as he smiled at Gaara. Gaara blinked at him slowly, not expecting such a normal reaction from him. After all, Tsunade had put it lightly. He wasn’t a brat, he was an extremely emotionally damaged kid who had been created to be a weapon for their village. Part of what he was trying to correct was the need to mercilessly hurt others and live for himself. This had directly affected Lee, he being almost permanently crippled thanks to Gaara’s ruthlessness. He had just barely recovered from his surgery, a fact evident in the way he faltered slightly as he stood. 

He extended a hand to Gaara, offering to pull him up. Gaara flinched away, staring at Lee’s still outstretched hand. After a few seconds of hesitation, he grabbed it. Having not experienced such a casual gesture before, Gaara went completely limp, expecting Lee to pull him up entirely. Even with his recovering muscles, Lee effortlessly pulled Gaara to his feet, snaking his hand around his waist as he almost stumbled.

“Oh. Thanks.” Gaara quickly stepped out of Lee’s embrace surprised his sand hadn’t reacted at the sudden contact. It seemed that Gaara wasn’t the only one trying to change. He quickly stored away that thought, choosing to mull it over during one of his many sleepless nights. He even considered writing a letter to Temari who was quickly forming a more comfortable relationship with him.

“Happy to help!” Lee replied, walking slowly through the paths the trees made. He stopped every few feet, checking to see if Gaara was still following.

“Is… your leg hurting?” Gaara asked, staring at Lee and his inconsistent walk. One of the tasks given to him in his latest session with Tsunade was to focus more on others and how they may be feeling. The hope was this would pull him out of his self-focused world and in turn help others to open up to him. 

“Er, no! Why would it be hurting? I’m in peak physical condition!” Lee yelled. To prove his point, he jumped in the air, spinning as he did so, before colliding his leg into a tree trunk. He winced slightly, landing on the ground lacking the grace he usually possessed. 

“That’s peak physical condition?” Gaara asked, crossing his arms over his body. As he did so, a shower of lemons fell out of the tree, knocking Lee in the head and hitting Gaara on the shoulder.

“HEY! Lemon boy! You better pick those up before they bruise!” Gaara looked in the direction of the owner of the orchard, scowling at him as he yelled.

“I’m not a lemon boy,” he muttered to himself, bending to grab the basket to pick up the lemons. “You should go now. I have a lot of work to do.” 

“Well, I have completed my training for the day and would love to help!” Lee said, crawling over to Gaara’s basket with an armful of lemons. He placed them in gently before looking up at Gaara.

Gaara stared down at Lee, dirt quickly finding it’s way all over his jumpsuit and smudged onto his nose. Not knowing what to say or how to react, Gaara did nothing and said nothing. He continued to pick up the lemons, setting the basket awkwardly against his hip once they had all been collected. He awkwardly began to walk away, basket shifting dangerously against his small frame.

“I would be happy to carry that for you, Gaara-kun!” Lee called, trotting up behind him. He attempted to pull on the basket, but Gaara quickly pulled it away. 

“No, I’m supposed to do this by myself,” Gaara said, switching the basket to the side opposite of Lee. His arms trembled slightly, unused to carrying things without his sand. Tsunade had ordered him to leave his gourd in one of the many tool sheds, a “time out” as she called it. She allowed him to keep a small amount of sand on him for emergencies, as well as his sand armor, but that was it. He tried hard not to think about it too much, the thought of being vulnerable giving him a panic attack. But he wanted to be better. He wanted to be able to grow closer to his siblings. There had even been talk about the potentials of making him the Kazekage. But he needed to get better to do all of that. 

As they neared the large wooden building where the fruit was being stored, Gaara’s trembling arms slipped slightly causing the basket to fall. Quicker than the falling fruit, Lee sped down, grabbing the basket before anything could fall out. He stumbled a bit, but quickly righted himself. He smiled at Gaara, then quickly frowned, setting the basket down and bowing. 

“I am very sorry, Gaara-kun. I know you requested to do this by yourself. I will leave you to it now,” Lee said, staring at the dirt. He stood and began walking away, face slightly flushed with embarrassment. 

Gaara watched him walk away, confused and slightly sad. He bent to pick the basket back up, but his arms continued to shake. 

“Wait, Lee. Help me. Please,” he called, crossing his arms in front of his chest in defeat. With Gaara’s voice and tone, it sounded as if he was demanding Lee to help him. But the added “please” made him smile, causing him to turn back quicker than he might have. 

“I would be more than happy to help!” he said, running far too fast in spite of the small distance between them. He overshot by a little bit, turning back and grabbing the basket in front of Gaara. He stood back up, looking down at him for a few moments. Gaara stared back at him, eyes emotionless and cold. Lee briefly thought back to their fight during the chunin exams, his arm and leg aching slightly at the memory. Only this time, he wasn’t met with the gaze of a hurt child, one who killed to prove his existence. This time it was a hurt child who was trying to understand him, one who was trying to correct what he had done wrong. A child that was trying to make connections with others instead of destroying them before they had a chance to hurt him. 

Gaara continued to stare at him, puzzled at why he would be so willing when Gaara had almost taken everything away from him. “Thank you,” he said after a few moments, so quiet that Lee didn’t properly hear him.

“What was that?” Lee asked, moving to balance the basket of lemons on his shoulder.

“I said, thank you.” Gaara repeated, voice growing slightly in volume. 

“It is no problem at all! You are so polite Gaara-kun,” Lee said, beaming down at him. “Now, where shall I set these?”

Gaara pushed past Lee slightly, walking towards the shed. He pulled open the door, grunting slightly as he did so, and gestured inside. Lee brushed past him, stepping into the shaded building. The earth was harder beneath them, tamped down by constant walking and working. The air was rich with the smell of dirt, particles of dust swirling lazily in the beams of light coming through the slotted roof. Gaara followed in after him, his restless mind settling slightly as he did so. He had been assigned this small old work building allowing him space separate from the other workers. It allowed him to collect his thoughts and work in peace. Lee set the lemons down next to the door, looking around the room as he did so.

“This seems like a nice place to pass time! Do you have it all to yourself?” he asked, looking at Gaara who was standing hesitantly in the doorway. He looked at Lee as he spoke, and nodded slightly in response. 

“They allowed me my own workspace. I’m able to store the fruit here and sort it before it gets sent to the market. It also lets me grow my succulents in here which keeps them protected from others.” Lee gasped at the mention of succulents, pulling his fists up underneath his chin and bouncing on his toes.

“Succulents?! You have succulents? That is absolutely wonderful! I have considered trying to grow some myself but I don’t know that I would do a very good job at it.”

“It takes a lot of research and dedication to grow them properly. People usually treat them like regular plants, and they don’t get what they need to thrive,” Gaara said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

“Kind of like you then!” Lee responded, brushing the dirt off of his jumpsuit.

“What?” Gaara asked, his voice biting more than he intended it to. He mentally noted his aggression, working to change his tone. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you have been through a lot of troubling life events. That means you are different than others, but not in a bad way. It just means that you have to be cared for a little differently in order to thrive,” Lee explained, stepping towards Gaara as he did so. 

Gaara did his best to let Lee walk closer, trying to slowly be more comfortable with having people around him, especially with his lack of sand. Lee continued to talk, but Gaara had tuned him out, focusing on his lack of space and trying his best to not lash out.

“Would you like to see my succulents?” Gaara asked, interrupting Lee from whatever he had been ranting about. 

“Oh! I would love to, thank you!” Lee said, his mouth setting into a thin smile. He tried to contain his excitement as Gaara walked over to a workbench across the room. There sat a small heat lamp and three succulents, each varying in size. Gaara switched off the bulb and pulled the pots slightly closer to Lee, making sure that they were placed at least two feet away from where he stood, that way Lee would need to step away from Gaara to look at them.

“Wow…” Lee breathed, leaning in close to inspect the plants. Gaara’s fingers twitched as he did so, doing his best to not push Lee out the door. He had helped Gaara, after all, and had been treating him better than most people would, even now. “What kind of succulents are they?” Lee asked, smiling over at Gaara as his face stooped low to the counter top. 

“The first one in the purple glazed pot is a Haworthia Cooperi. It is mainly green, but will grow to have red tips once it’s bigger. The second one in the black pot is an Aloe Polyphylla, more commonly known as a spiral aloe. It is in the same family as the Aloe Vera plant-”

“I use those for my injuries sometimes!” Lee interrupted.

“Right. But this kind of aloe is not used for healing,” Gaara explained, clearing his throat slightly. “And finally, in the red pot is a Golden Barrel cactus, which you have most likely seen before. This one is very young so it’s spines most likely won’t hurt you, but please do not touch them,” he finished, causing Lee to pull his finger away from the sharp points he was about to touch.

“You are very smart, Gaara-kun. Thank you for showing me your succulents, I am sure that it was not an easy thing to do. Hobbies can be personal, but I am glad to have shared this with you! You are doing a wonderful job in your recovery!” Lee expressed, his smile growing much more gentle as he did so.

“Thank you,” Gaara muttered, surprising himself at another use of the formality he had previously ignored. He smiled slightly, glad to also see that he had been making progress. At the sight of his grin, Lee gasped and grabbed his cheeks, squishing them between his hands. 

“Your smile is so nice! I don’t think I’ve seen it before!”

Gaara grabbed his hands, pulling them off of his face and stepping back quickly. “The only time I’ve smiled before was when I was killing someone.” he said, his voice growing tight with anxiety. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to even his breathing before it got out of control. 

“Right. Well, I should… probably go. I think I have overstayed my welcome. Thank you for showing me your succulents,” Lee stammered, noticing Gaara’s discomfort and stepping back slightly towards the door. Gaara gave him a curt nod, his breath coming quick and uneven through his nose. Lee left, closing the door behind him. Gaara inhaled a shaky breath, holding it for ten seconds before letting it out. In an attempt to calm himself down, he moved the succulents back into their place. He checked the moisture of the soil, inspecting them as he did so. He knew Lee hadn’t touched them and no harm had been done, but he couldn’t help but worry. What he hadn’t told Lee was that each succulent represented him and his siblings. Tsunade had felt it was important for him to find a physical representation of their familial bonds, something that Gaara could picture and take care of while he attempted to mend their relationship. 

After fixing his succulents, Gaara continued to breathe the way Tsunade had shown him to calm down. After he had centered himself somewhat, he walked out of the shed and back towards the lemon trees. The light citrus scent in the air mingled with the fresh dirt, helping him to focus on the task at hand. The sun began to set over Konoha as Gaara returned to his small visitor’s housing to rest for another night.  
____________________________________________________________________________

“Lee, I have your first official chunin assignment for you. Do you think you’re ready?”

Lee stood as straight as a board, clenched fists at his sides and his chin in the air. He had been summoned to the Hokage’s office earlier that morning and had been buzzing with excitement ever since. He had just recently retaken the chunin exam, passing with flying colors even with a still healing body. He chalked it up to lots of protein balls made by Gai-sensei as well as a youthful determination. It also didn’t hurt that he had been training like crazy ever since he had been bested in battle by Gaara.

“Hokage-sama, I have been dreaming of this day. I will accept this mission with the highest honor, whether it be a suicide mission or tracking down a dangerous rogue shinobi. I promise to do my utmost best, returning with honor to my village or else dying for it’s sake!” Lee proclaimed, his eyebrows pulled down in determination.

Tsunade paused, staring at Lee with concerned curiosity. “Lee, I just fixed your body. I don’t feel like doing it again. Not that you will have much of a concern for danger, as I am assigning you to a mission within the village.”

“Within the village? What sort of mission?” 

“I want you to help out in Konoha’s lemon orchard. They need the extra hand and it will be excellent training for you, I’m sure.”

“Oh,” Lee said, deflating slightly. He perked back up quickly, voice raising, “It’s no matter! I will do my absolute best to help the farmers and procure an excellent harvest!”

Tsunade snorted, still surprised by Lee’s enthusiasm, even after all this time. “I’m sure you will, Lee. But, it’s not just the fruit I’m concerned about. Gaara has been helping out in the orchards as part of his therapy. I can’t tell you much about his sessions, but I can tell you that you’ve been mentioned once or twice. What I think Gaara may need more than anything at the moment is a friend, someone with pure intentions such as yourself. He’s hurt you in the past, yet you seem to have forgiven him and moved on. He needs to know that while not all of his actions are repairable, there is a chance for him to turn things around. Normally I would have preferred he start with his siblings, but they too have damage they need to work through before helping Gaara with his own. Do you think you can do that for me, Lee?” She asked, her head resting on her clasped hands.

“I will do all in my power to help Gaara recover. He has been through a lot of pain, I can imagine that he needs someone to remind him of his significance.”

Tsunade gave Lee a small smile as she stood behind her desk.

“Thank you, Lee. You will begin working in the orchard bright and early tomorrow morning. Please be careful of what you do and say around him. Don’t mention the sand. Don’t touch him without permission. I know you’re easily excited, but I’m going to have to ask you to restrain yourself slightly. For Gaara’s sake.”

Lee flashed her a brilliant smile, adding a thumbs up to accompany it.

“You can count on me, Hokage-sama!”

“Wonderful. You are dismissed. I have an important matter to attend to,” Tsunade said, turning to a shelf nearby that was filled with different liquors. Lee gave a tiny salute, and left the office. As he exited the building, he was stopped in his tracks by none other than the boy he had just been discussing with Tsunade.

“Oh, hello Gaara-kun! I am sorry to have ran into you. Not that I’m sorry to see you, not at all! I just mean sorry I bumped into you, I hope I did not make you uncomfortable,” Lee stammered, his words tripping over themselves in his attempt to be cautious.

“Hello, Lee. I am fine, please do not worry,” he said, Lee noting that he seemed much less irritable than he was when he had seen him at the orchard. 

“Ah, I am glad! Well, I suppose I should not keep you for much longer. I should probably go eat dinner anyway.” Lee began to walk away, but Gaara stepped in front of him, unsure of how to stop him otherwise.

“I have a few minutes before I need to speak with Tsunade,” he said, causing Lee to wince at his lack of formalities for his Hokage. “Are you eating dinner with your family?”

“Oh, I actually do not have a family. Well, in the traditional sense. Sometimes I eat with my teammates, but they are currently away on a mission. I will just be eating by myself.” Lee explained, scratching the back of his head as he did so. 

“I am sorry to hear that. No one should have to be alone,” Gaara said, his arms crossing into what Lee had come to recognize as his standard pose. “If you would like, we could have dinner together once I am done. I don’t have anyone to eat with either.”

Lee’s grin grew wider and wider as Gaara talked, excited for the prospect of spending more time with him. He had been too shocked to respond, not realizing Gaara was waiting for an answer until he had cleared his throat, breaking him out of the trance he had been in.

“Oh, yes, that sounds wonderful! I will wait for you here, then you can join me at my apartment.”

Gaara nodded briefly, walking past Lee to meet with Tsunade. Lee noticed that Gaara had brushed by closer than he normally would have. He hoped that it wasn’t a bluff and that maybe, just maybe, Gaara was warming up to people. And somewhere in the back of his mind, Lee hoped that it was him specifically that he was becoming comfortable with. 

An hour later, Gaara exited the hokage tower and was greeted with the sight of an upside down Lee, his legs hooked over a tree branch as he did sit ups.

“498...499...500!” he yelled, before grabbing the branch with his hands, flipping his legs off and over, and landing gracefully on the ground. Gaara briefly noted that he seemed to finally be regaining the strength he had lost from their fight, something he was relieved to see. Usually when people fought Gaara, or had the unfortune of facing his wrath, there was no recovery to even hope for. But Gaara knew Lee was much stronger than that.

“I am ready to eat now,” he said, watching Lee as he stretched his arms up and extended his torso, stretching his abs from the workout they had just received.

“Excellent! I too have worked up an appetite. Please follow me to my home so we may eat!” Lee began to walk in the direction of his apartment with Gaara following slightly behind. They walked in comfortable silence, Lee allowing enough space for Gaara to feel secure, but also allowing him chances to move in closer should he desire to do so. After ten minutes of walking, they arrived.

“Here it is! It is not very fancy compared to the Kazekage manor I am sure,” Lee said, pulling his shoes off to leave at the door. Gaara followed suit, gazing around the apartment as he did so. 

“It’s comfortable. It doesn’t harbor bad memories and isn’t spacious and lonely. I like it.” Gaara turned to stare at Lee, noticing that he looked sad. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” He mentally scolded himself, frustrated with his lack of progress in the way he interacted with others and how he regarded their emotions.

“What? No, not at all! I am so glad you find my home to be comfortable. Please know you are welcome here any time! I just…” Lee paused, unsure of how to proceed or how much to say, “I just feel sad for you. I wish that we had grown up in the same village so that neither of us were as lonely when we were children. I think we could have been good friends!”

The word friend hit Gaara like a well aimed kunai. He had never been addressed so intimately yet so casually before. Others around him threw the word “friend” around as if it were almost meaningless. But the verbal acknowledgement of a bond meant the world to him. Overwhelmed with the thought that Lee wanted to be his friend, he involuntarily offered another tiny smile to Lee, one born of sincere happiness.

“I think so too, Lee. But maybe we can make up for it now,” he said, his voice shaking slightly with nervousness, “would you like to be my friend?”

Lee teared up slightly, grinning down at Gaara. “We already are friends, silly!”

“Oh,” Gaara said, his voice small. He recognized Lee’s crying as happy tears, having heard that Lee was prone to show all of his feelings through watery sentiments. “I’m glad.”

“I am as well! Now, I hope you like curry!” Lee walked further into his apartment and into the kitchen. He prepared a quick dinner, a simple curry and rice. He had wanted to prepare something more elaborate, but it had been short notice and it was getting late. Lee had a strict schedule, eating, sleeping, and training at the same time every day when he could. It had been thrown off slightly in order to accomodate Gaara, but he didn’t mind. 

“Here you are!” he said, setting a plate in front of Gaara. He sat across from him with his own plate, digging in almost immediately. 

“Thank you,” Gaara mumbled, eating slowly and deliberately. He had never concerned himself much with food in the past, eating enough to keep him alive and nothing more. But he had to admit, even with the simplicity of the dish, Lee knew how to cook well. They continued to eat in silence, both growing more and more comfortable with each other’s presence. Once they had finished, Gaara pushed his plate away. Lee sat back, patting his stomach as he did so. He began to grab their plates, moving towards the sink when Gaara cleared his throat. Lee paused, expecting him to say something, but he didn’t. He stared intently down at his hands which couldn’t seem to hold still.

“Is everything okay?” Lee asked, sitting back down and setting the plates to the side. 

“Yes. Everything is fine.” Gaara continued to avoid Lee’s faze, fiddling with his hands more. Lee stared at him for a moment, expecting him to say something further. He remained quiet, his hands busying themselves in his lap. Lee raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing, grabbing the plates again and carrying them to the sink. As he rinsed them, he heard Gaara’s voice call from the table.

“Lee, why did you touch my face the other day?” he asked, barely heard over their distance and the anxiousness in his voice. Lee returned to the dining area, sitting across from Gaara.

“I am sorry about that. Sometimes I get carried away and forget about people’s boundaries. I often touch and hug my friends so it is a habit that I am still working on breaking. I promise I will be more careful in the future.”

“Don’t apologize. I know I’m not normal, it’s not your fault I responded poorly.” Lee opened his mouth, attempting to argue with Gaara’s definition of normal, but was quickly cut off.

“Please don’t interrupt. This is going to be hard as it is,” Gaara snapped, glaring at Lee slightly. Lee shut his mouth tightly, crumbling in on himself. Gaara’s lips pressed into a thin line, upset at Lee, but also upset at himself for hurting one of the only people who was trying to get closer to him. He let out a frustrated sigh and placed his hands on the table.

“Just forget I said anything. I should go.”

“Wait, Gaara, don’t leave. I am sorry for interrupting. Please let me help how I can. What is going to be hard?” Lee asked, his expression softening. Gaara looked up at him with his eyes, his head still turned down.

“Why do you want to help me?” he asked, his brow scrunched in confusion.

“Well, we are friends aren’t we? And I too know what it’s like to be lonely and rejected as a kid, although not to the same degree,” Lee said, resting his arms on the table and leaning towards Gaara. “I don’t know what I would have done had I not made bonds with my teammates and others. I want to help you do the same. I know for me speaking my mind and opening up to others helped. What’s on your mind?”

Gaara took a breathe, steadying himself amongst the turmoil of the many emotions he felt. He didn’t like to feel too much, resorting to violence when he did so before. But he was different now. He wanted to be different.

“Tsunade said it would be good for me to incorporate physical affection into my life. I didn’t grow emotionally healthy, partially due to the fact that I was never touched. She thinks that it would help me get better if I made the effort to be physically close to others.”

Lee tucked a finger under his chin, nodding thoughtfully. “Everytime I hug Gai-sensei or Tenten it helps me feel comforted and closer to them. It would definitely be worth a shot.”

Gaara stood awkwardly from the table, his chair scraping along the tile. He stared at Lee uncomfortably for a few moments before weakly holding his arms out. He had seen the gesture before, it proving successful in initiating contact for others, but never for him. He was used to hesitation, nervous for Lee’s reaction, already growing angry at the thought of Lee rejecting him.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the feeling of strong arms gently snaking their way around his back. Lee grabbed him from underneath, causing Gaara to stand on his toes slightly in order to avoid Lee bending down too far. Unsure of what to do with his arms, he let them flop over his back while Lee held on tight. The feeling was overwhelming, his senses screaming at him that he was in danger, that any minute now Lee would try and kill him. But moments passed, and Lee was still holding him, no perceived threats coming to fruition. Gaara relaxed into the embrace, while Lee gently rubbed his hand back and forth across his back. It felt nicer than Gaara had expected, the need for touch he had when he was younger being fulfilled at last. The pain he had experienced from Lee and Naruto during the chunin exams had satisfied that to a point, his ability to feel pain finally occurring as it wasn’t able to before. But this was much different. This filled him in a way that only love could, as Yashamaru had explained to him, before he had tried to assassinate him as so many others had, and would continue to do.

Suddenly overwhelmed with his past and the pressure of Lee’s grip, he pulled away quickly, consciously trying to be as gentle as possible. He recognized that his discomfort was not Lee’s fault, not anyone’s fault. It was a result of the trauma and pain he had experienced, but didn’t define who Gaara was. It was a fact that was hard for him to remember, but Tsunade had consistently reassured him of it and encouraged him to do the same. He stepped back from Lee, setting a distance from him that he was usually more comfortable with. He was disappointed he couldn’t maintain the contact for longer, but hoped that the small step would help him to be better.

Lee stepped back slightly, furthering the distance between them to help Gaara feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed. He stood saying nothing, waiting for Gaara to speak or react in some way. He had crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the ground. He stood there for a few minutes with Lee patiently waiting, not wanting to further stress him out. 

“That was okay,” Gaara finally said, taking in a shuddery breath. “I’m sorry I pushed you away so suddenly. It became overwhelming.”

“That is okay! You took a huge step and that can be very overwhelming! For what it is worth, you are very huggable.”

At that, Gaara snorted, knowing Lee was just being nice. “I think I’m ready to go home. Thank you for dinner.”

“Thank you for joining me! Is it okay if I walk you home?” Lee asked, already putting his shoes on. Gaara paused for a moment, then nodded his head, grabbing his shoes as he did so. They walked to Gaara’s quarters in silence. They walked closer than they had before, Gaara noted, but he made no attempts to distance himself. If Lee was going to kill him, he would have done so when they had hugged. Once they had arrived, Lee smiled at him, said goodnight, then walked away, albeit on his hands. Gaara stood at the door watching him. He hadn’t quite figured Rock Lee out, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to. He was too kind for someone who he had almost killed. Gaara walked inside and laid down, not falling asleep, but resting, needing it after the confusing and emotionally taxing day he had. As his tired mind unwound itself, he found his thoughts drifting back to Lee.

The next morning, Gaara rose early, feeling somewhat positive for the first time in a long time. He took a few moments to write down how he was feeling at Tsunade’s instructions. She had given him a lot of things to work on, but he was dedicated to being better and took each task with quiet determination. After jotting a few sentences down, he got ready for the day and walked to the orchard. After grabbing his tools from the shed, he walked between the trees, gathering any sticks or other debris that had found itself on the ground through the night. Lemon trees were fairly resilient, however, the orchard owner liked to keep a clean and well-managed plot. After only a few minutes, he heard the distant sound of frantic running.

“Gaara-kun! I am so sorry I am late!” he heard Lee call. He placed the gathered sticks and leaves in small pile and stood, squinting from the bright morning sun, watching Lee as he ran towards him.

“Hello, Lee,” he said as Lee caught his breath, “what do you mean late? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, did Lady Tsunade not tell you? I have been assigned to work with you in the orchard! It is my first chunin assignment!” he yelled in excitement. Gaara looked behind him, face scrunched in confusion as he looked behind Lee.

“Where is the rest of your team?”

“They are currently being assigned elsewhere. It will just be you and me!” Lee said, smiling at him. Gaara smiled back, the action involuntary. He quickly dropped it, worried that Lee would grab his face again, but Lee had turned around, facing the orchard fully.

“Shall we begin?” he asked, walking towards the trees without waiting for Gaara’s response. Gaara followed after him, continuing to pick up sticks as he went. 

Throughout the day, Gaara taught him everything he had learned while working in the orchard. He taught him the scientific name for each type of tree they had, how to know when to pick the lemons, the many different uses that this specific orchard would use the lemons for, such as selling in the market, making breads and pastries that they sold in a small store on site, as well as making a sweet lemonade with mint from the owner’s personal garden.

The two boys were enjoying said lemonade at the end of the day, watching the shadows through the leaves move as the sun set.

“Lee,” Gaara said, turning slightly to face him. He paused, Lee looking at him expectantly. What he wanted to say was that Lee was a good friend, that he was grateful that he had forgiven him for hurting him. He wanted to say that he was a strong shinobi and that he looked up to him a lot. He wanted to tell him that he would never forget their hug, that it was the first time he was able to receive comfort and love in the form of physical affection. But he didn’t know how to express any of that. He knew he felt it, he had had the same conversation with himself the night before. But he didn’t know how to express that to Lee, or if he would ever be able to. After struggling for a few moments, all he said was, “Thank you.”

Lee smiled at him gently before turning back to face the orchard. “Thank YOU, Gaara. Thank you for allowing me the honor of helping you in the orchard and helping you recover. You are doing a fantastic job so far. I’m really proud of you.”

Stunned, Gaara tucked his knees up into his chest, resting his chin on top. His eyes watered slightly, overwhelmed by the sincere love and kindness Lee exuded. It was intoxicating and slightly addicting, Gaara having gone without it for so long. In a moment of what felt like stupid bravery, Gaara scooted closer to Lee, pressing their arms together. Lee smiled gently to himself before reaching around to pat Gaara on his shoulder. He withdrew quickly, not wanting to push Gaara too far, but Gaara stopped his hand, causing Lee to rest his arm where it was. They sat like that as it continued to get darked before Gaara pushed himself up to standing. 

“Can we eat dinner together again? My treat this time.”

Lee smiled and nodded up at Gaara. They walked to one of Lee’s favorite restaurant, Gaara continuing to tell Lee about the lemon trees, his succulents, and anything he knew about the plants passing by them. Lee smiled fondly at Gaara throughout the night, honored and happy that he was opening up to him. 

Time continued to pass like this, Lee helping in the orchard as needed and spending dinner with Gaara each night he was able. Weeks turned into months and Gaara kept track of time by counting days between the hugs he gave Lee. At first it was 45 days, then 32, then 16. Eventually, they would hug almost weekly. Gaara was overjoyed with this fact, craving the touch more and more each time it happened. Eventually, Gaara had to return to Suna to prepare to take the position of Kazekage and Lee was needed elsewhere. They hugged at the gates as Gaara left, both promising to write the other. Before Gaara could fully pull away, Lee bent down and placed a light kiss on his cheek. They both blushed, finishing their goodbyes, already missing the other.

Over the next few years, they wrote to each other consistently and made time to visit each other as much as they could. Gaara continued to open himself up to others, hugging his siblings and even patting Naruto on the shoulder when they visited. But he still found himself missing Lee’s embrace and thinking back to everything he wanted to say to him the night they watched the leaves’ shadows dance across the ground. 

He eventually got the chance to tell him everything on the night he proposed to Lee years later. For once, Lee was speechless, tears streaming down his face. He nodded his acceptance and pulled Gaara into a tight hug. Gaara held on, finding a home in Lee’s embrace as he had done so many times before. 

“I love you, lemon boy.” Lee whispered into his ear. Gaara rolled his eyes, which also had been filling with tears, before pulling Lee back and kissing him gently. He broke the kiss, placing his forehead against Lee’s and stared into his warm and loving eyes.

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you as always for reading!


End file.
